Description

The biggest drainage on the North Face of the South Bluff. You won't need an ice axe or crampons, but they'll make it more enjoyable and help create the illusion that you're actually in a real couloir. There are some ice steps, but truthfully you'll have a harder time stepping over downed trees than negotiating the ice.

This gully is a beautiful part of the park and I highly recommend a visit - the "climbing" leaves a little to be desired, but the environment and solitude are everything anyone can ask for in this part of the world.

Location

This route is the second major gully you will encounter on your right after the berm on your left subsides as you're walking down the tracks from the south shore parking lot.

I have gazed over towards that drainage from the top of some East of the Quarry crag many times over the years wondering what adventure lies up in there..... I seemed to remember there is a nice stand of large pines in there too.... I few of us have been climbing ice and mixed routes at the Devil's Nose lately as well just down the tracks and there are little easy ice blobs and flows to climb all along the bluff above the tracks if conditions are right plus it helps and is more fun if the snow depth is greater then 1.5 ft and above.... It's fun just to go and explore....

With the weather we've had (snow followed by a little warmup) and the weather we're expected to get (a few days of snow with highs in the twenties and lows in the teens followed by cold) this thing might actually fatten up - it pulls from a huge area.

For decades this "gully" was/is referred to as "Canfield Cut" by Baraboo locals in honor of old settlers pioneer and naturalist W.H. Canfield. Born in 1819, he arrived in the Baraboo Valley in 1842. Initially he lived along Skillet Creek and later built a cabin at Devils Lake.

I hiked Canfield Cut years ago and hope to get back in and check it out this winter.

Back when I was growing up in Baraboo, a number of friends and I used to get dropped off and go on multi-day trips on the south bluff. On one of those trips we hiked this drainage from top down and found it extremely beautiful and peaceful. We returned many times and even had a nice primitive camp up there in which we called it "Paradise". Not that I am advocating for this activity these days, but I have very fond memories of us hiking up there and hanging out next to the little seasonal stream loaded with little waterfalls.